The Three Talents of Timothy O'Dowd

In 1939 Montreal, schoolboy Tim discovers he has magical powers, while a demon and a strange old man give conflicting advice on using them. Tim shows foreign photographers around the city, but soon suspects them of a murderous intentions against the visiting king and queen. He must foil the plot or find real evidence to convince the police. More

* Montreal on the eve of World War II * Its flamboyant mayor * A prince of the church * An old-fashioned prep school * A schoolboy with secret powers * A visit by the king and queen * A fishy group of foreigners * A smelly demon * An old man who knows it all

Against the background of a schoolboy’s life in pre-war Montreal, Doug Huestis has blended all these elements into an exciting story of a boy who risks everything in the hope of foiling a terrorist plot.

Doug Huestis has been a technical and scientific writer, originally from Montreal and graduated from McGill University there. As a medical school professor (University of Arizona) he has written scientific articles, textbooks, and shorter pieces. Recently, he has been writing medical history, translations, including Alexander Bogdanov’s “Struggle for Viability,” essays, book reviews, and fiction, including the novel “A Bag with No Secrets.” A member of the Authors Guild and the Society of Southwestern Authors, he lives in Tucson with his wife, Rosemary. His website is www.doughuestis.com .

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Review by:
Harry Nicholson
on Dec. 04, 2012 :
The author sets his tale in the calm Montreal of 1939. He writes so well that the streets and byways unfold before the reader like a virtual image filled with believable atmosphere of a pre-war world. There is a degree of fantasy in the story – the imagination is teased but not stretched too far.
It is a tale of the eternal battle between the archetypes of good and evil; the chosen and the fallen. But there is lightness and comedy and a clutch of inept bad guys
I enjoyed the author's clear prose – of a style that invites and holds the reader.
I'd have enjoyed it the more if the closing scenes had been extended further.
(reviewed 26 days after purchase)